Anti-Akin Sentiment Inspires Illegitimate Rape Whistle

It goes without saying that Todd Akin's recent comments about "legitimate rape" inspired a vast outpouring of anger against the congressman. His once-impressive 10 point U.S. Senate race polling lead has vanished -- placing him into a deep hole against democratic incumbent Claire McCaskill -- nearly every member of the Republican party has asked him to exit the race, and most of his funding has dried up like the 2012 Midwestern corn crop.

Indeed, the headaches keep piling up in what has been a reputational disaster for both Akin and his party at a critical juncture for each.

It's provided plenty of fodder for political pundits, women's groups, comedians, water cooler slackers, and nearly anyone with even the slightest stake in politics. The most interesting example -- and for that matter, perhaps the most entertaining -- comes from a St. Louis-area marketing and social media consultant, Amanda Zaydman.

That's right. Offended and able to do something about it with the help of today's modern-day digital tools, Zaydman took Akin's blunder as a black eye on the reputation of her adopted home state of Missouri. So she decided to do something about it, creating a website and Twitter account.

"I was appalled by Akin's comments like most people and took to my personal social media channels," she said. "I've been in St. Louis for almost a decade and am frustrated with the most common associations - high crime rates, a dying city center, and now Akin."

A self-described "feminist," Zaydman serves on the board of Almost Home, which provides housing and services for homeless teen moms. And with her charity in mind she put two-and-two together, seeing Illegitimate Rape Whistle as a means to raise funds for a related cause.

"A friend called about the idea and I was immediately interested," she added. "We've gone from concept to launch within a matter of days and I want to see how far we can take this."